North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Ernest Plutko" <ernestplutko@wiktel.com>]

Do you cover vines with soil or anything else or just snow?

---- Original Message ----
From: r-jkaminski@att.net
To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: RE: [NAFEX] Grape plant survival
Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2008 19:35:45 -0600

>     In reading about dropping blackberries from freezing I would 
>like to share my experience of dropping grape plants in a similar 
>way.  I have 15 grape plants total and 5 of these will not survive 
>the cold without help.  My grapes are spaced 10 feet apart in 3 
>rows.   Heavy wire is placed between the poles for support at 2 feet 
>high and 60 inches on top.   The grapes grow with an arm going each 
>direction from center of the plant on each wire. This is good if you 
>do not have to mess around with the plants, however if you have to 
>cut them from the wires and lay them on the ground it becomes a real 
>mess. They tangle up and when you go to pick them up in the spring 
>your problems really start when it comes to pruning. An easy method 
>of handling the tender grapes is to go a place that sells 
>construction material and get some of the heavy wire that is used and
>
>placed into concrete when it is laid.  It is the heavy wire that has 
>squares of of about 6 inches.  It comes 5 feet wide and I place a 5 
>foot high by 7 foot long piece (side ways)  attached with "S" clips 
>to the support wires.  As the grapes grow during the year they attach
>
>themselves to the construction wire. In the fall early (while still 
>warm after harvest) I unhook the "S" clips and lower the whole plant,
>
>wire and all to the ground.   When you do this they will not go flat 
>to the ground right away but they work them selves down slowly with 
>out pressure and thus no breakage of any wood occurs.The weight of 
>the plants and the wire  on top, keeping them flat, will help to 
>bring  them to the ground.
>In the spring you pick up the whole wire, grapes and all,  attach the
>
>"S" clips again and you are ready
>to prune without a tangled mess.
>My brother saw my method and his comment was "Give the job to a lazy 
>man and he will find an easier way to do the job." He also uses that 
>method in central Wisconsin and loves it. If you have any 
>questions  please E-mail me.  Ray  Zone 4  N.E. Wisc.
>
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